Hey there!
Welcome to But First Chai - I'm Famidha, the cook, writer, and chai addict behind this space. Mr F is my husband and most loyal (unpaid) taste-tester.
This little blog is an excuse to combine my love for cooking new dishes and writing recipes.
My cooking is essentially a map of everywhere I've lived and every dish I loved eating!
Coimbatore, where I grew up, gave me Tamil Nadu flavours. My parents are from Thalassery, Kerala, so Moplah dishes like orotti and neypathal were weekend staples at home.
I spent my 20s in the corporate world in Bangalore, and that's honestly where I taught myself to cook, and where Karnataka cuisine snuck into my repertoire, too. I loved coming back to my tiny kitchen and making dinner for two (my flatmate and me). Between my full-time job as an Instructional Designer and the flour-filled counter, it became obvious that cooking was therapeutic to me, and my kitchen (wherever it is) is my refuge.
In 2014, I quit my job to start a new journey with my husband (Mr F) in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. In 2019, we moved to the UAE, and the whole Middle Eastern food world opened up.
Add the Pan-Indian classics every Indian home loves, and that's But First Chai in a nutshell.
No single cuisine. Just honest cooking shaped by every place I've called home.
Why the blog?
I started this in 2015 as a recipe journal while living in Saudi Arabia. In a new country, cooking became my way of staying active. My background as an Instructional Designer, spending years writing training materials that people could actually follow, quietly shaped how I write recipes too.
Clear, tested, step-by-step, no video needed. I've been told my written recipes are easy to follow, and I take pride in that.
Since it's just the two of us, recipes are portioned for two good appetites, which works perfectly for a small family too. No boxed spice mixes. No diet food. No apologies for ghee!
Why But First Chai?
The reason I call this blog But First Chai is because we both are chai lovers, and good things start with a cup of chai, right? I remember the day I was contemplating what to call this blog while I was sipping my morning chai, and it was a bulb moment: "But First Chai" was born.
What will you find here?
You will find recipes that will be the show stopper of your next family lunch, like Yemeni Chicken Mandi or Kacchi Mutton Biryani. You will also find plenty of desserts that are in small batches, so you don't overindulge. And lots of sweet and savoury snacks for all mental states.
If you want to learn to cook new recipes, then dive in here and get inspired.
Most Popular Recipes
- Musakhan Rolls (Sumac Chicken)
- Hariyali Chicken | Chicken in Mint Coriander Yoghurt Sauce
- Galettes Bretonnes | French Butter Biscuits
- Chicken Kabsa
- Sambousek
- Osmania Biscuits Recipe
- Semiya Upma | Vermicelli Upma
- Cherupayar Curry with Coconut
- Kerala Beef Fry
- Yemeni Chicken Mandi | Baked Smoky Chicken Rice
- Plantain Bread
- Chicken Hyderabadi Curry Recipe (dum ka murgh)
CONTACT ME
I would love to hear from you, whether you have a recipe request or are interested in collaborating. Email me at famidha at butfirstchai dot com.
CONNECT
You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Note: All the pictures shared on this blog and the content in it are my own unless clearly stated otherwise. Reproducing in part or whole without my permission is a violation of my intellectual property. If you like to include my content in something, then reach out, and I am happy to work with you!
When I'm not in the kitchen, I'm cuddling with my cat fur-babies, Maddy & Rowdy.